Overview
A capstone project for information technology is a practical artefact (proposal, prototype) where you will have to demonstrate the skills and knowledge you have acquired throughout the course. To do so, the subject requires the completion of three interconnected assessments where you will:
• Produce a project business case – Due Week 4
• Present the requirements relating to the proposed project – Due Week 6
• Create a solution design and a plan for implementing the proposed project – Due Week 11
Assessment 2 builds on assessment 1 where you have identified a problem that you can solve by developing an IT solution. Assessment 2 requires you to plan your requirements gathering process before collecting the functional and non-functional requirements relating to your project.
The report must include at least the following sections:
• Cover page
• Executive summary
• Table of contents
• Introduction and business case
• Functional requirements
• Nonfunctional requirements
• Conclusion
• Reference
Students will be assessed on the following criteria:
• Format and structure (5%)
• Introduction and business case (10%)
• Functional requirements (30%)
• Nonfunctional requirements (30%)
• Writing to the audience (15%)
• Conclusion (10%)
Details about each criterion can be checked by assessing the marking guide listed in the document. Please note that research relating to the functional and nonfunctional requirements will influence the mark you earned for those criterion. The best research is where students make their arguments by using peer-reviewed journal articles. While using a minimum of six (6) sources is expected, students will only achieve a top mark in their research component when they adequately use between ten (10) and fifteen (15) quality research sources. Kindly note that using WIKIPEDIA and other online encyclopedia is not allowed and may result in being given a fail grade for the task.
Important Information
• Please include SISTC’s assessment cover page at the beginning of the submitted work.
• The assessment must be APA referenced, typed Calibri 12 font, double spaced and delivered by using the appropriate headings and sub headings.
• Referencing is only considered adequate when the sources that are used in the work are acknowledged both in-text and in the references list at the end of the essay.
• The assessment’s length is 2000 words (+/-) 10% including references.
• The assessment is worth 20% of your overall subject mark.
• A word document of your assessment must be submitted to Moodle by Sunday the 19th of December 2021 at 11:59PM. Files that are not submitted in word will not be accepted.
• You do not need to print and submit a hard copy of your work.
• Submitting your work late will attract a 10% reduction of mark for each day beyond the due date. A delay of more than 5 days will result in being granted a 0.
• If you cannot submit your assessment on time and have extenuating circumstances, please complete the special consideration form and email it to info@sistc.nsw.edu.au.
• It is recommended to plan time appropriately and start your assessment early which will give you time to gain feedback from your tutor and do well.
Additional Important Formatting Guidelines
All undergraduate essay and research report style assignments should be formatted using the following rules:
Margins: 2.54 left, right, top and bottom (this is the pre-set default margin setting in Word).
Indenting: Each new paragraph should be indented one Tab space.
Justification: No justification of text on right hand margin. Justify the left side of text in the body of essay/report except for indents required for the first lines of each new paragraph (see presentation format exemplar).
Header: Your name and student number are to be inserted into the header of the document along with the assessment name (e.g. critical report).
Footer: Page numbers should be inserted in bottom centre of the footer.
Assignment Title: Please include an assessment title or heading (e.g. Annotated Bibliography, Case Study Report) in Arial 14 point bold
Word Count: Word counts will comprise ALL text material contained in the body of the written assignment. This will include in-text citations, quotations, and any headings (if used). This will also include any information presented in tables or figures which are included WITHIN the body of the
assignment. Information included outside of the main body of the assignment (e.g. coversheet, title page, reference list, preparation table) will NOT contribute to the word count.
Please Note: You must adhere to the stipulated word count for your assignment. Assignments which go over this stated limit may be penalised, and the marker may cease to read your paper once the word count has been reached.
Headings: Headings are generally used more in research reports than in essays. The following rules should be followed to format headings if used.
Level of Heading Format
1 Centred, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading
2 Flush left, boldface, Upper and Lowercase Heading
3 Indented, boldface, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period.
4 Indented, boldface, italicised, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period.
The above table has been adapted from the APA Style Guide to Electronic References (2012).
Use of numbers in assignment text:
• Numbers between zero and nine should be represented in words. For example: There were six experimental groups in the trial.
• Numbers ten and above should be represented in numerical format. For example: A total of 24 participants took part in the pilot.
• Write out all numbers at the start of a sentence. For example: Twenty students
completed the task.